Abraham is well known as a giant of the faith. He believed God and the Lord accounted it to him as righteousness. He left his homeland with his wife, his nephew, and his household, armed with a promise that he would be told where to go. He walked from a position of riches, an apparently wealthy man, into the unknown. Are we like this Abraham?
We read on and see that Abraham was quite capable of acting like someone who is not believing God. He is quite capable of acting like someone whose highest goal is to save his own neck. Abraham goes to Egypt to escape a famine but he arranges for Sarah to deny being his wife. He is afraid he will be killed by someone who wants to marry Sarah. Are we like this Abraham?
In most instances most of us can probably say we are very much like Abraham - both Abrahams. We will courageously agree with our Lord. We will seek to do his will, no matter the cost. But then when we are confronted with the cost we falter, flinch, fall back. What hope is there?
See how our Lord cared for Abraham despite his failure. God protected Sarah. He afflicted the Egyptians. He restored Sarah to Abraham, unharmed. Is there anything the Lord cannot do? What does he promise and not accomplish? He is indeed the Lord who is able to do all things according to his great mercy and grace. We can trust that he will bring to pass all his promises in us.
Who is this who even wind and sea - and Abraham and us - obey, indeed?
ReplyDeletesomething I noticed today for the first time: not only was God protecting Sarah and Abraham, as you say, but also protecting His promise and us. For God will not give the offspring that will bless all nations to Abraham apart from Sarah (though He has not explicitly said that yet.) But if Sarah is not reunited to Abraham, that promise dies - and so do we without Abraham's offspring.